THE NEW YORK TIMES: 20

To be added in newsroom reform bid

May 22, 2003|By Newsday.

NEW YORK — The New York Times, stung by a journalistic fraud case that has damaged its reputation, plans to hire 20 more journalists, and the newspaper's top editors have promised to be more inclusive in future decision-making, according to memos sent to employees.

The reforms, the first of what is expected to be several rounds of actions, came less than a week after a staff meeting in which newsroom employees criticized the top brass for failing to listen to subordinates' ideas, favoring a few star writers and fostering "a climate of fear" in the workplace.

The extraordinary gripe session and the changes it precipitated were in response to revelations by the Times that former reporter Jayson Blair engaged in widespread lying and plagiarism while covering national news events from October 2002 through last month.

A spokeswoman said "the hiring time frame has not been established." The Times' newsroom has 1,200 people, among the most in the industry.